David E. Lownds

David E. Lownds (1921-31 August 2011) was the colonel of the 26th Marine Regiment during the Vietnam War. He was also a veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and Dominican War.

Biography
David E. Lownds was born in 1921 and served in the US Marine Corps during World War II, being wounded at the 1944 Battle of Saipan and the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima. He also served in the Korean War and fought behind enemy lines during the war in the Dominican Republic in 1965. Lownds was sent to command the 26th Marine Regiment during the Vietnam War and defended the marine base of Khe Sanh from the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) in January 1968. His victory against all odds (6,000 marines vs. 40,000 NVA troops) earned him the Navy Cross. Lownds died in Naples, Florida on 31 August 2011.